Engineers at the University of Utah have developed a new type of battery called a pyroelectrochemical cell that can harvest ambient thermal energy.
The battery utilizes materials that change electrical properties when heated or cooled, allowing it to store energy generated from temperature fluctuations in the environment.
This innovation provides a promising solution for powering remote wireless sensors used to monitor things like vehicles, machines, agriculture, which currently have issues staying charged in the field.
The battery’s energy harvesting is still low but represents a major breakthrough as it could make sensor systems truly independent without needing recharging in the field. Small temperature variations can generate enough power.
If improved, these pyroelectrochemical cells could enable smart sensor networks that reduce waste from existing energy harvesting technologies and help make monitoring equipment more sustainable and cost-effective for companies.
The researchers aim to test prototypes in real-world environments and optimize the battery design so a single heating/cooling cycle can produce usable energy for applications like periodic sensor updates.
Source: thecooldown
